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shellku · 2 years ago

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Unpopular Twilight Opinions

- Jasper is hot. And Alice is Hot. And they are amazing couple.

- The baseball scene was HOT. Bi-awakening level hot for teens everyone.

- Alice while she relies perhaps on her visions to much is amazing. She truly loves her family and is extremely clever.

- Alice had a horrible past and does not let her treat others poorly. She deserves a medal for some of the shit she has to put up with trying to keep her chaos family alive. As does Jasper.

-Carlisle is a hypocrite and enabler. Not ultimate evil. But he is an enabler and a hypocrite.

- Esme should have put her foot down more. A LOT more.

- Charlie deserved better and truly loves his daughter.

- Charlie isn’t stupid he’s just a good person. Who really loves her daughter.

- Jacob wasn’t wrong for finally telling Charlie some of the truth. Even if some of his reasons weren’t Noble.

- Reneé may love Bella but her selfishness is ridiculous.

- Edward didn’t even try to truly get along with and spend time with Bella’s human friends until after she has a major depressive episode. Also would have been great practice because his human acting needs work.

- Angela Webber is a great friend. If anyone should have been in on Bella’s secrets and helped with the cover story it should have been the loyal, intelligent, and kind hearted Angela.

- Forks was weird. Like the high school itself was a bit odd. But the movie captured the randomness and idiot-ness of teen boys perfect. “Bella look it’s a worm”.

- Charlie should have never pushed Bella to give Jacob a chance.

- Charlie should have made more of an effort to bond near the beginning even if it was really uncomfortable. It was not his fault. At the same time a teenager is a new place with little guidance is a bit of a recipe for disaster. Especially after her first ‘run away back to Arizona’ episode.

- Imprinting is NOT romantic. No. So much no.

- Leah Clearwater deserves better. So much better.

- Rosalie deserves better. And more credit for her amazing blood control.

-Also while Rose can be shallow sometimes. Her wanting to protect the family and protect others (Bella) from what happened to her is NOT selfish. She also supports Bella and accepts her much more after Bella A) becomes part of the family and B) assures her that she’s made her choice and isn’t acting impulsively.

- Bella when originally asking Edward to be a vampire was not considering all the consequences. Therefore it was reasonable for some of the family and Edward himself to tell her NO.

- Jasper is an empath and so when everyone experience blood lust at Bella’s birthday it was truly not his fault. Having to experience

- It’s amazing he’s not a completely psychopath. Who thought it was a good idea to send a empath to high school over and over again?

-The Cullens cover story is stupid. And they do a horrible job of ‘ blending in’.

- Bella is a parentified child who suffers from depression. This set her up to have a higher chance of toxic relationships.

- Jasper is by far the best strategist of the Cullens. And one of the most protective members.

- Rosalie is underrated and had serious trauma. She needed her families support and her having issues with Vampirism is legit.

-Rosalie and Emmett are adorable.

-Emmett is Awesome! Despite his difficulties with the diet he genuinely tries and seems to be on all accounts a good person. He adores, loves, and respects his wife. He supports his siblings and always does his best to keep the chaotic family going with positivity and genuine kindness. As well as humor.

-I would have loved more Tennessee and Texas references. Jaspers is a Texas man first. And Emmett realistically also would have an accent. Is Emmett a Dolly Parton fan? I think so.

- I love the Cullens. But they are very problematic as both a coven and family. Dysfunctional abound. Also … they aren’t the Volturi but they aren’t saints. I don’t know where Edward gets him catholic guilt complex from but they are vampires and they all have killed. They aren’t angels.

- Alex Volturi is scarier than his sister Jane.

- Seth Clearwater honestly handles the craziness so well. Also considering his age? All the kudos. However, I wish we saw him chew someone out. Like Sam. I wanted him to chew out Sam. It would be glorious.

-Paul’s actually pretty cool and grew a lot as a person in a short time. He still hates vampires but he hasn’t really seen a reason to trust them yet either?

- The wolves should have had their own book. There was so much going on.

-Embry’s dad? Should be Sam’s father. I think them all doing some group therapy and supporting Embry would have been great.

- Jacob’s sister irritates me. She isn’t mentioned much but honestly comes off a bit self centered and uncaring towards what her brother is going through.

- Jacob, while he gets on my last nerves, was dealing with a lot in New Moon and did not have the same guidance as others. His ‘alpha’ was Sam Uley for crying out loud.

- Sam Uley is a bitch and needs to be punched in the face and taught some facts. He should have let Leah go long before he was forced to.

- In New Moon when Bella is depression she is also experiencing legitimate withdrawals from being on the receiving end of Vampire ‘dazzles’ for so long.

- I don’t think Bella is going to be a good mother to a hybrid teen who is ‘matched’ with Jacob. The amount of therapy needed for that. (Cringe)

- I honestly think Nessie is set up in a situation to be spoiled and entitled beyond belief. Not sure how that would work out realistically but it’s extremely problematic at best. I’m not just talking about the wealth. I’m talking about the charms/ instant gratification/ and growing up with your imprint enslaved into worshiping the ground you walk on from birth.

- Jacob should not have imprinted of Nessie.

- why did no one in Forks mention something like ‘Buried in the Backyard’ or ‘20/20’ much? The amount of weird astound there is frankly weird. It would make more sense if everyone knew they were vampires and just didn’t mention it.

- Actually Angela Webber should have known. Come over during Breaking Dawn and been like ‘oh shoot. I’m sorry. This is one of those vampire things isn’t it?’ And when everyone starts panicking and Bella accuses you knew?!?!?! She’s just very calm and like “yeah. It was obvious but it would be impolite to say anything. “

- There is not enough therapy in the world.

- I know that Edward can’t control his ‘gift’ but he can’t judge people for their every thought realistically. It’s not only not healthy but a huge invasion of privacy.

- Edward should have accepted some of the things Bella did is because she is from a different time and that was never going to change. Also he was far to controlling.

- On the other hand, when Edward said NO to sex he had legitimate reasons and Bella was wayyyyy to pushy in some scenes.

- The movie cinematography is top notch. *chef kiss*

- The soundtrack is Epic. And borderline iconic.

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theevilthatismokke · 2 years ago

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The myth of Sumire and Hakubo: JSHK chapter 94 and the reinterpretation of “Tales of Ise: Part 6 (Akutagawa)”

Hakubo and Sumire seem to be a point of controversy and confusion among the jshk fandom: from their introduction to the latest chapters, they are a misunderstood and underrated pair, a phenomenon that has only exploded as of chapter 94.

There are many factors, as I see it, that contribute to this... confusion. But in this post, I'll focus on an aspect that is so far, very overlooked, but in my opinion, very important in understanding Hakubo and Sumire: their relationship with the mythical and mundane.

For that, I'll also be comparing chapter 94 with part 6 of the Tales of Ise (Akutagawa).

But before we begin this analysis, I feel we must clear a few concepts.

1. Clearing concepts: Eating and Sex, Death and Marriage

It feels like I'm pointing out the obvious, but just to be safe, let's talk a bit about these metaphors, not only what they generally mean in literature, but how Aidairo apply those metaphors in JSHK.

a) Eating = sex

This… should be the most obvious one. It’s really not that uncommon to see this particular metaphor in… any sort of media whatsoever! Poems, songs, books, movies, series… Maybe you’ve heard instances in literature of wanting to devour someone equating to sexual desire. Or think of vampires, these monsters now synonymous in pop culture to sexual beings, their lust for blood often intertwined with sexual lust. Heck, even stories that come from oral tradition, such as Little Red Riding Hood, have many interpretations that equal the wolf’s eating of the girl to sex.

Still, even without this knowledge, Aidairo does establish plenty of times, both in their AUs and the manga proper, what eating- particularly someone else- can mean within their writing.

Let’s start with the AUs:

In Hanako-kun of Magic: Sweet Witch Banquet, the only way Nene and Aoi can bring back the people they turned into sweets back to normal is to eat them… with the side effect that, for a short amount of time, the people who were eaten will fall in love with those who ate them.

In the Ghost Hotel AU, it’s a little more subtle but it’s still there. There are two instances of monsters eating those they desire. First, there’s Kou, who’s a werewolf in this AU, and apparently can’t resist taking chunks out of Mitsuba the mummy to cook and eat.

Second, there’s Hanako, who’s a vampire in this AU, and who’s stated to have drunk too much blood out of Tsukasa, and later, is implied to bite Nene and do the same to her, trapping her with him in the hotel.

But AUs are not the only place Aidairo have written this metaphor. In the very first chapter, eating a mermaid’s scale together means you’re bound to each other, a bond equated in said chapter to a romantic relationship.

And if that example’s too much of a stretch for you, than look no further than chapter 39: Mokke of the Dead!

In that chapter we have two instances of eating equating to sex and romance. First, when kegare!Hanako going straight to Nene to eat her. The scene is…

…quite suggestive, Nene even misinterpreted it at first!

Later, we have Akane who, under the influence of kegare, seemingly translates his romantic feelings for Aoi into wanting to eat her.

It’s very clear here that Akane’s thinking of Aoi when trying to take a bite out of Nene. Hilariously, Nene herself worries that Akane trying to eat her would result into a love triangle between her, Aoi and Akane.

And last but not least…

THESE PANELS ARE CLEARLY BEING FRAMED AS A SEX SCENE!!

Seriously, how could anyone not see it?

So, yeah, JSHK clearly uses the cannibalism = romance and sex metaphor a lot. But what about death and marriage?

Let’s find out:

b) Death and Marriage

For this one we must turn back in time and go for stories based on oral tradition.

Death and the Maiden is a very famous, frequently used motif in stories. Most iterations of Beauty and Beast use both Death and the Maiden and Animal Bridegrooms in their narratives to make a point.

But basically, death and marriage have been equated in stories for a very long time, to symbolize the cyclical nature of a human’s life- in this case, it often has to do with the end of a woman’s childhood and the start of a new part of her life, as a wife and mother: adulthood, basically.

Think of Hades and Persephone, who are meant to symbolize the cyclical nature of life and death, the coming and going of the seasons and marriage as the end of childhood/maindenhood, but the beggining of something new.

In JSHK, this is also referenced with the Kannagis, usually young women of marriageable age, whose sacrifice is equated to marrying God and returning to his side.

Keep all of this in mind as I ask you: which of the mysteries oversees 'life and death'? Who, in the JSHK universe, is meant to be seen as the main representative of Death? And what character is mostly seen among flowers? What characters are heavily associated with the dual nature of Life and Death?

Hint: it's Hakubo and Sumire.

As No. 6, Hakubo has powers over life and death. Currently, he’s also referred to as a Shinigami, often translated as a “Grim Reaper” or “God of Death”. The term “shinigami” can also have, in literature, a link to suicides and shinjuu. Finally, he’s an Oni. In many stories, often written during/after wars, famines and natural disasters, Oni are featured eating people- in these, Oni are a metaphor for death itself.

So, if we consider Hakubo’s role as a Death deity in the JSHK mythos, we have to ask this question: what happens when Death falls in love?

2.) Chapter 94: The reinterpretation of Tales of Ise Part 6 (Akutagawa)

The 'Tales of Ise' is a uta monogatari (essentially, a collection of poems and other narratives) composed of more than 100 episodes, some of which date back all the way to the Heian period.

Among those poems, there is one in particular Aidairo chose to allude to and reinterpret in their manga: Episode 6 (Akutagawa). The story below (translated by Helen McCulough) shares certain beats with chapter 94:

A certain man had for years courted a most inaccesssible lady. One pitch-black night he finally spirited her out of her apartments and ran off with her. As they passed a stream called the Akutagawa, She caught a glimpse of a dewdrop on a blade of grass and asked him what it was. The journey ahead was long, the hour had grown late, and a torrential rain was pouring down, punctuated with frightful peals of thunder. The man put the lady inside a ruined storehouse and stationed himself in the doorway wiht his bow and quiver on his back, never dreaming that the place was haunted by demons. But while he was standing there longing for daybreak, a demon ate the lady up in one gulp. A thundercap muffled her scream of terror. When the sky finally began to lighten a bit, the man peered inside and saw that the lady was gone. Frantic with helpless grief, he recited, When my beloved asked, "Is it a clear gem Or what might it be?" Would that I replied, "A dewdrop!" and perished.

There are quite a few beats that match, no? A couple that isn’t allowed to be together is stranded by the rain, but it ends unexpectedly as the woman is eaten by an oni.

Now, before any of you look at this superficially, have a "gotcha!" kind of reaction and try to use it as proof that Hakubo didn't love Sumire or that Sumire was eaten against her will, let me reiterate that not only chapter 94 is a reinterpretation of this tale, but also that Aidairo has done this sort of thing before.

Aidairo loves to reference all kinds of stories in JSHK. The 'Little Mermaid' is thematically very important to Nene's character, part of the short story 'Takasebune' is narrated by Amane during the Picture Perfect arc, the myth of 'Orpheus and Eurydice' is alluded to twice, first with Akane and Aoi, then with little Tsukasa, Nene and Kou.

Most obviously, we also have the urban legend of 'Hanako-san' right in the first chapter.

What do all these instances have in common? The answer is simple: they all are reinterpretations of the original tales.

For example: both with Akane and Aoi, and the trio of Nene, Kou and little Tsukasa, we have an allusion to the famous scene of Orpheus looking back to see Eurydice, only to find her gone.

The differences in these interpretations lie on many factors, but most heavily on the characters taking the role of ‘Eurydice’. Although she was essentially kidnapped, Aoi still was passively suicidal, and later even lashed out at Akane and Nene, who were trying to rescue her. Likewise, Tsukasa actually knew the way to get back to his family, he only chose not to until Kou and Nene convinced him to do otherwise.

By giving Aoi and Tsukasa more agency than the character of ‘Eurydice’ had in some known versions, this allows for a more complex and nuanced narrative without taking the tragic elements out of it. That said, to outsiders, these situations might look like a version of ‘Orpheus and Eurydice’ played completely straight: a tragedy about a poor, helpless thing taken too soon against their will, not particularly nuanced nor too complex.

Chapter 94, similarly, transforms the chapter of Akutagawa into a more complex and nuanced story by giving both Hakubo and Sumire more agency, even if, to outsiders, it might look like it was just the tragic tale of a poor innocent girl being trapped and eaten by a monster.

And this where we can see the differences between the two stories.

The woman in the chapter ‘Akutagawa’ is a tragic figure… but her voice can barely be heard anywhere in the narrative. The only things we know about her are that: one, she was implied to be of a much higher status than the man, and two, that she was apparently so sheltered and isolated, she’d never seen a dewdrop before in her life. The man mourns not explaining to her what a dewdrop was.

Sumire was, indeed, from a family of much higher status than Hakubo, who was essentially a slave to the Minamoto clan and their village. Sumire was also, very sheltered and isolated throughout her entire life.

But Sumire’s status within the village was simultaneously very similar to Hakubo’s own: she was nothing but an object to be sacrificed, mostly referred as a Kannagi by her fellow humans. And although she was sheltered and isolated, Sumire hilariously began her relationship with Hakubo as the one with more basic living skills (cooking, laundry, cleaning).

Sumire, most importantly, knew Hakubo was an oni from the very beginning, and again and again proclaimed her love for him, knowing very well what, who and how he is.

While Sumire is meant to represent the woman in the tale, Hakubo is meant to be both the man eloping with the woman he loves and the oni who eats her.

Hakubo, like the man in ‘Akutagawa’, pines for a woman he cannot be with: not as kaii who loves a human, not as the one in charge of seeing her off as a Kannagi. Hakubo had wished to take Sumire’s hand and run away from their village, to ‘spirit her away’ much like the eloping couple did. And ultimately, so they would not be separated again, Hakubo eats Sumire, as the oni ate the woman.

It’s very poignant, I think, that Hakubo represents both the man and the oni from ‘Akutagawa’. The entire irony of his monologue in chapter 94 lies in the fact that he didn’t need to be a human man to do any of those things: he managed, in his own way, to do them all.

He laments not being able to cry for Sumire, while his face has been permanently marked, two thin tears streaks forever burned in his visage.

He wishes he could’ve grown with her, and yet, did he not grow? Learning with and from her, how to take care of himself and her, discovering and developing feelings and desires buried deep within him? Does he not seem older, comparing before and after he met Sumire, physically, mentally, emotionally?

He says he wished he could’ve laughed with her too, dismissing how, moments ago, he was actually smiling and playful, the happiest we’ve ever seen him be as he recalls precious memories with Sumire.

‘I would’ve clung to you and cried as you were sacrificed’ he says as his boundary itself weeps, trapping her in a cave with him, as if begging her not to leave him again.

…‘I would even have fallen in love with you like a human man would’ he confesses, as he devours her, usurping the River God of the village as her husband, after kissing her like a man starved, after confessing to be under her spell.

Hakubo represents both man and oni because he was both, because, in JSHK, kaii and human truly aren’t all that different.

…Hakubo is also the woman, ignorant of his own heart, as she was of the world outside.

Sumire is also the man and the oni, at once guiding and haunting Hakubo.

The reinterpretation of ‘Akutagawa’ in chapter 94 is not meant to lend a cynical view on Hakubo and Sumire’s relationship and feelings for each other.

Instead, it is meant not only to reinforce that they loved each other, but also finally get some agency, after a lifetime of abiding to their village’s will.

It is also important to note that chapter 94 is, in many ways, a do-over of chapter’s 89 ending for both Sumire and Hakubo.

Once again, they’re placed in a situation where a higher power dictates that Sumire must be sacrificed and that Hakubo shall oversee said sacrifice. Sumire even says:

Both Hakubo and Sumire had many regrets about that day. Feelings unspoken, the sin of inaction… the loop present in their boundary symbolizes how neither ever moved on from that night, from their regrets.

When faced with the same situation once again in chapter 94, Hakubo and Sumire decided to take their fates into their own hands, with the cards they were dealt. Unlike their past selves, and unlike the man and the woman in ‘Akutagawa’, Hakubo and Sumire at last gained some agency.

It isn’t a tragic ending, although I don’t see it as truly happy either. Like many things in their lives, it was bittersweet.

3.) Nature vs Nurture: the significance of the rumors and the “right way” to love someone

I've seen some people completely miss the point and think that Hakubo's nature as an Oni means he's incapable of loving someone. The same people also completely ignore the sort of environment he grew up in.

First, and as a quick note, I find this panel very interesting:

It has struck with me for quite some time now, Shuten Doji’s pose. It looks like he was reaching in Hakubo’s direction, almost as if to warn him or protect him. How odd if you think that Oni apparently aren’t capable of love.

But regardless of nature and what love might innately mean to an Oni, we should also take a look at Hakubo’s formative years:

A slave, a tool to be used, Hakubo not only equates the humans to the mountain Onis, he also grows up hearing again and again that he’s a monster incapable of understanding humans, that he’s different, he’s unfeeling.

How the hell was that not supposed to affect how Hakubo viewed himself?

(something, something, call someone monster enough times, and they'll actually become one)

The manga never really discards either nature and nurture when it comes to their characters, and with Hakubo, it is both his dense nature and his alienating non-upbringing that turns him into the mess he is.

By the way, we’re absolutely meant to compare the villagers talking about Hakubo to the students spreading rumors. The way they call him creepy, the panel where only the hands of the villagers are shown... it kinda reminds me of Shijima-san's flashback.

This last image also low-key reminds me of the scene where the villagers are celebrating Sumire's death. I think Akane's steadyfast belief that kaii don't value life and his implict belief that humans value it will be put in question by either or both Shijima and Hakubo. But that's a whole other thing.

And just in case you missed, here’s a little montage of humans and supernaturals being compared:

Kou is ‘kinda like’ Yako, Aoi and Hanako 'might be alike’, Nene and Tsukasa are the same.

Humans and supernaturals are compared so many times in this manga, and every single time we see that they’re not really that different. All of them have someone they love- all of them.

Considering this, I must ask: just what is “truly loving someone” in the world of JSHK? What is the “right” way to love someone in the manga, presented by the text?

And just which characters have managed to love someone the “right” way?

Is it Yako, who has tried to bring Misaki back in the shadiest way possible, by harming students and building a fake body?

Is it Tsuchigomori, who never put anything in line to help Amane?

Is it Shijima, who tried to kill Mei?

Is it Akane, who stalks Aoi, constantly changes himself for her and beats up her admirers? Is it Aoi, who has stabbed him, and simultaneously kept him at arms length and lead him on for years?

Is it Natsuhiko, who tried to drug Sakura and is okay with her destroying humanity as long as he gets a date? Is it Sakura, who is cold and violent towards Natsuhiko, while not letting him go?

Is it Kou, who calls Mitsuba a ‘fake’, tries to commit suicide to appease his guilt, and is a low-key bully to him? Is it Mitsuba, who kidnapped Kou and wants Kou to accept him just because he’s lonely?

Is it Teru, who tortured Akane on a daily basis and tries to control Kou’s life?

Is it Nene, who fell for the first boy who gave her attention, can be frivolous and shallow when it comes to romance and is always making excuses for Hanako?

Is it Tsukasa, who’s love-starved, obsessed and willing to destroy and manipulate everything and everyone to make Hanako happy?

Is it freaking Hanako, who killed Tsukasa, who tried to imprison Nene and who is creepily possessive of both?

…Is it Sumire, who wished to a submissive, obedient Oni to fall into hell for her and was blissfully happy when she found out he did just that?

...Is it Hakubo, who cannot express or understand himself clearly, and struggles with his feelings just like any other character in this manga?

If you’ve read any of those and tried to justify something, or if your gut reaction was “well, it’s more complicated than that…”, or if you thought that this doesn’t mean the feelings of love weren’t there, even if warped or twisted…

Then, congrats, you got it!

Pretty much no character has a truly healthy idea of love in the manga- all the romances… all the main relationships so far have been at least a little bit messed up.

But something JSHK has not done so far is put any of its couples in the “failed romance/not true love” box. It has played with concepts of selfishness vs. selflessness, yes, but it has never disregarded the feelings of those involved as not love.

The only time I remember that Aidairo explicitly told the audience that something wasn’t love was through Nene in the very first chapter… when she admitted she didn’t know anything about her old senpai or Teru, nor did she bother getting to know them.

This is a manga about people who are on the way to discovering themselves and who have no idea how to communicate nor express love in a healthy manner. Trying to divide characters and relationships into “true love” and “not-true love” is… terribly inane.

Furthermore, trying to say that any character is incapable of love in JSHK is, to me, going against one of the core themes and messages of the manga: that everyone loves and is loved.

And speaking of themes, let’s talk about Hakubo and Sumire’s role as the culmination of JSHK’s themes, thesis and messages.

4.) Hakubo and Sumire: JSHK’s blueprint

This one will be brief, but it should be said. If you’ve paid any attention to JSHK, you’ll notice that Aidairo love their parallels. They use it everywhere, to drive a few points and get their themes across better.

These parallels also serve to connect all the characters narratively and thematically. But, the king and queen of parallels in this manga are Hakubo and Sumire. Go ahead, compare them to any character or relationship in the manga, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Basically, Sumire and Hakubo serve as mirrors and foils to all the important characters and relationships we’ve seen so far… actually, even minor ones, since they also have parallels with Yorimitsu.

Hakubo’s and Sumire’s narratives and relationship are meant to illustrate all the themes of the manga in one duo. So, when I really think about it, the thought of Aidairo saying that Hakubo/Sumire are a “doomed/failed romance” or that Hakubo and Sumire didn’t love each other is… absurd! Why make the embodiment of your work’s message and themes into something cynical, when JSHK has such hopeful undertones, especially when it comes to love? Doesn’t make sense to me.

Instead, I propose the opposite: Hakubo and Sumire are meant to illustrate that relationships between kaii/human are possible, that they can understand one another and that everyone is capable of loving and being loved.

5.) Conclusion

JSHK chapter 94 is meant to be a reinterpretation of chapter 6 of ‘Tales of Ise’ (Akutagawa). This retelling is meant to give more agency to Hakubo and Sumire as they choose to end things on their own terms, while finally having some sort of closure regarding each other’s feelings: Hakubo and Sumire loved each other and were loved by one another.

This reinterpretation also reiterates Hakubo and Sumire’s role as both the culmination of JSHK’s themes/messages and as part of the folklore/mythos of the manga.

Finally, the themes of nature vs nurture and kaii vs humans are explored within Hakubo’s speech to Sumire, where we are meant to question whether it was necessary for him to be human in order to love Sumire or if he, as an Oni, managed to do it, regardless of what the world and Hakubo himself believe about oni/kaii.

While confusing sometimes, I believe Hakubo/Sumire are the key to understanding JSHK’s themes, messages and possible endings better, so it is vital that we look at them carefully.

Also, on a side note, I do not believe that chapter 94 will be the last we’ve seen of these two, and I’m not necessarily talking about flashbacks.

When it comes to a manga like JSHK, which deals so much with the afterlife, plays with our notions of “life and death” and has so much time traveling, not to mention time-loops… I’m always hesitant to say that a character is truly gone. After all, Mitsuba has ‘died’ how many times already in the manga proper?

And considering the other instances of characters fusing upon eating the other, and the fact that Hakubo not only oversees ‘Life and Death’, but also that his powers haven’t been properly used for the plot yet… there’s so much that’s gone unanswered about those two… and there’s this panel that shall haunt me forever:

(Me, after seeing how deeply connected to the number six both Sumire and Habuko are: What the hell does this mean, Aidairo?! Come back and give me my husband-wife team!!)

Only time will tell. Who knows, maybe that’s the end and Aidairo was just messing with me. But I digress.

The purpose of Hakubo and Sumire in this manga is clear to me: not to makes us fearful and cynical for a ‘bad end’, but hopeful for a good one.

Now, whatever that would be for our characters is a whole other story.

#a mokke overanalyses

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brokehorrorfan · 3 years ago

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The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 2 will be released on May 31 via Severin Films. Available to pre-order for $95, the seven-disc Blu-ray box features six films starring horror icon Christopher Lee plus more.

It includes 1959's Uncle Was a Vampire, 1962's The Secret of the Red Orchid, 1974's Dark Places, 1976's Dracula and Son (director's cut and US version), 1989's Murder Story, a CD featuring the Dracula and Son soundtrack, and a booklet by Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby.

A breakdown of the discs and 15+ hours of special features is below.

Disc 1: Uncle Was a Vampire (1959):

2K restoration from dupe negative

Alternate cut from Italian broadcast master

Alternate cut audio commentary by Christopher Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby and Hammer historian Kevin Lyons

Interview with European film scholar Dr. Pasquale Iannone

His Carpathian domicile bought by developers, Baron Roderico (Christopher Lee) flees to the ancestral castle owned by his impoverished nephew (Renato Rascel). But when the nephew sells this castle to luxury hoteliers, Uncle Prince of Darkness must withstand obnoxious tourists, bikini beauties and his own bloodsucking bellhop relative.

Disc 2: The Secret of the Red Orchid (1962):

2K restoration from dupe negative

Audio commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth

Audio commentary by film historians Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw

Trailer

As rival Chicago mobsters – led by Pretty Boy Steve (Klaus Kinski) – unleash a spree of extortion, machine gun mayhem and murder across England, Scotland Yard summons a cunning FBI agent (Christopher Lee) to end the escalating gang war.

Disc 3: Dark Places (1974)

4k restoration from internegative

Audio commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth

Interview with Christopher Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby

US teaser trailer

Brazilian TV spot

When the former administrator of an asylum (Robert Hardy) inherits the crumbling estate of an elderly inmate, he’ll unlock a nightmare of lust, larceny, insanity and several murders grisly enough to warrant an ‘X’ certification from the BBFC.

Disc 4 & 5: Dracula and Son – Director’s Cut (1976) & US Version (1979)

4K restoration from the original negative

Audio commentary by Christopher Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby and Hammer historian Kevin Lyons

Audio commentary by film historian Kat Ellinger

Interview with actor Bernard Menez

French TV interview with Christopher Lee

Audio interview with director Édouard Molinaro

Interview with author Claude Klotz

Interview with filmmaker Patrice Leconte on author Claude Klotz

German credit sequences

Trailer

TV spot

With angry villagers driving them away from their castle in Transylvania, Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) and his son Ferdinand (Bernard Ménez) head abroad. The Prince of Darkness ends up in London, where he becomes a horror movie star exploiting his vampire status. His son, meanwhile, is ashamed of his roots and ends up a night watchman in Paris, where he falls for a girl. Tensions arise when father and son are reunited and both take a liking to the same girl.

Disc 6: Murder Story (1989)

4K restoration from original negative

Audio commentary by writers/directors Eddie Arno and Markus Innocenti

Interview with producer Tom Reeve

Mask of Murder - 1988 film co-starring Christopher Lee (sourced from best existing master)

Trailer

Christopher Lee delivers a sly performance as a famous mystery novelist whose mentoring of an aspiring young writer (Alexis Denisof) will lead them both into an Amsterdam-based web of pornography, arson and a global conspiracy of cold-blooded murder.

Also included:

Dracula and Son soundtrack CD composed by Vladimir Cosma (Le Dîner de Cons)

100-page booklet written by Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby

youtube

To celebrate the centennial of Sir Christopher Lee, Eurocrypt Collection 2 presents five of the most unexpected, underrated and underseen films of the iconic actor’s European career. Immediately following HORROR OF DRACULA, Lee reprised the role in the quirky 1959 Italian comedy UNCLE WAS A VAMPIRE. Lee speaks fluent German opposite Klaus Kinski for the crazed 1962 krimi SECRET OF THE RED ORCHID. In the 1974 UK psycho-thriller DARK PLACES, Lee toplines a cast that includes Joan Collins, Herbert Lom and Jane Birkin. Lee’s final performance as The Count in the 1976 French comedy DRACULA AND SON can at last be seen in its superior Director’s Cut, while the ultra-rare 1988 Dutch drama MURDER STORY brings Lee into the sex shoppes of Amsterdam. Each film has been remastered from original negative materials with over 15 total hours of trailers, commentaries, alternate cuts, vintage interviews and new featurettes, plus the DRACULA AND SON soundtrack and an all-new 100-page book by Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby.

#christopher lee #horror #70s horror #80s horror #60s horror #50s horror #severin films #dvd #gift #1950s horror #1960s horror #1970s horror #1980s horror #dracula #hammer films

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benito-cereno · 3 years ago

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Hello would you recommend me some vampire movies?

Yeah, sure. I'm wearing a Dracula shirt at this very moment, so it seems timely.

You didn't ask for deep cuts, so there will be a lot of obvious ones in here.

Nosferatu (both the 1922 and 1979 versions are worth watching, but be aware that the 1922 version is silent and black and white)

Dracula (if you watch the 1931 version, watch with the Philip Glass score if possible. The 1992 version is also worth watching, and the 1979 version is very underrated. If you want to watch more Universal Dracula, follow up Drac 31 with Dracula's Daughter, but then skip Son of Dracula and watch Return of the Vampire instead. It's a serial-numbers-filed-off sequel to Dracula, but at least it has Lugosi. Then Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein)

Horror of Dracula (1958, imo the best Dracula movie. All of the sequels are worth at least a look, imo, but the first two sequels--Brides of Dracula and Prince of Darkness--are the essential ones. Note that Brides of Dracula doesn't actually have Dracula in it.)

There are plenty of Hammer vampire movies without Dracula in them that are worth a look, most notably the Karnstein trilogy--The Vampire Lovers, Lust for a Vampire, and Twins of Evil--which are at least nominally based on Le Fanu's Carmilla, the first of which has Ingrid Pitt and Peter Cushing. Otherwise, check out Countess Dracula (which has Ingrid Pitt as Elizabeth Bathory), Captain Kronos, and Vampire Circus, the premise of which I probably don't have to tell you. Kiss of the Vampire is also pretty good.

Vampyr (1932, black and white, mostly silent, probably not what you're thinking of in a vampire movie, but also very cool)

Mark of the Vampire (1935, Tod Browning with Bela Lugosi, in a remake of Browning's own lost London After Midnight, which had Lon Chaney Sr)

Isle of the Dead (1945, a Val Lewton picture with Boris Karloff, though not a traditional vampire tale)

Black Sunday (1960, maybe vampire-adjacent, black and white)

Santo vs the Vampire Women (1962)

Black Sabbath (1963, this is an anthology and only one segment is vampires, but it's got Boris Karloff, so)

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Count Yorga, Vampire (1970)

Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

Blacula (1972)

Ganja and Hess (1973)

Martin (1977, George Romero)

Fright Night (1985, but the remake is also good)

Mr Vampire (1985)

Near Dark (1987, streaming on Shudder now after being impossible to find for years)

The Lost Boys (1987)

Cronos (1994, Guillermo del Toro)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Blade (1998)

Shadow of the Vampire (2000, fictional account of the making of Nosferatu with Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck)

Blade 2 (2002)

Night Watch (2004)

Let the Right One In (2008)

Thirst (2009, Park Chan Wook)

Byzantium (2012)

Rigor Mortis (2013)

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Only Lovers Left Alive (2014, Jim Jarmusch with Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston)

What We Do in the Shadows (2015)

Bloodsucking Bastards (2015)

If Dracula's Daughter and the Karnstein trilogy got you interested in the surprisingly robust subgenre of lesbian vampires, try:

Blood and Roses (1960, another Carmilla adaptation)

The R**** of the Vampire (1968)

Requiem for a Vampire (1971)

Daughters of Darkness (1971)

Vampyros Lesbos (1971)

The Blood Spattered Bride (1972)

Vampyres (1974)

Fascination (1979)

Hopefully that's enough to get you started, sorry if I didn't say your favorite. I haven't seen every movie ever made

#halloween #vampire #vampires #dracula

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hannah-deactivated20220725 · 3 years ago

Text

I posted 2,162 times in 2021

1313 posts created (61%)

849 posts reblogged (39%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.6 posts.

I added 1,597 tags in 2021

#my ocs - 243 posts

#writers of tumblr - 181 posts

#writing community - 171 posts

#my writing - 169 posts

#friendos - 163 posts

#about my ocs - 145 posts

#creative writing - 139 posts

#chatty kathy - 136 posts

#random - 130 posts

#self reblog - 120 posts

Longest Tag: 128 characters

#i also realllly loved vampire idol because it's the first one i made with horror-like vampires being the centerfold of the world

My Top Posts in 2021

Ask an Author: Writer Word Association Wordplay

Aka an ask meme for writers, word association style.

Send one of the following numbers and the writer will tell you the first CHARACTER of theirs that comes to mind when they see it (feel free to explain further if you would like, writers!):

aggravation

choking

sword fight

majestic

clever

cuddle

honesty

chestnut

social

scaredy cat

lame

light

might

right

smite

clean

twerk

twine

twisted

toil

Alright, and now for part II. Send one of the following LETTERS and receive the WORK IN PROGRESS (or past project, if you’d prefer) that the word reminds the writer of. If the writer only has one work, then you may also use this section for characters. ^_^

a. alliance

b. masked lies

c. death and defiance

d. slapdash

e. squirrely

f. timidity in trust

g. fighting for your life

h. fear in friendships

i. shocking revelations

j. stuck in life

k. absolute and complete growth

l. WRONG LEVER

m. kill the bastard

n. rest in peace

o. justification of immoral deeds

Have fun, my friends!

55 notes • Posted 2021-11-03 20:44:09 GMT

5 Ways to Know Your Writing is Good

1. You end your writing session with tears in your eyes or a smile on your face

2. Your writing leaves you realizing things about yourself or others that you previously hadn't really thought about

3. Your writing makes you feel proud of yourself for whatever reason it may be

4. You look forward to the next time you'll write

5. You are always thinking about your story and/or characters

100 notes • Posted 2021-11-30 06:24:02 GMT

Inspired by a conversation I just had:

To all of my artist friends (whether it be writing, drawing, painting, clay work, crafts or other), you are incredible. Your talents are underrated af in this world but not by me. I appreciate you more than I can put into words and you guys make the world better.

There are people that prefer destruction but you are the reasons why this world has beauty. Those that create and not tear down... you guys are inspirational and even if you don’t realize it, you inspire me.

153 notes • Posted 2021-02-15 00:11:43 GMT

Ways to Show-Not-Tell Love Between Characters

Just so you all know, a lot of these will work just as much with a platonic/friend love as with a romantic relationship. Love is for all, not just romance-seekers. <3 I hope you enjoy this list.

having a fun/exciting day together, ending with a peaceful moment together (head on the shoulder/cuddles while watching a movie/etc)

holding hands casually and not even noticing it because it's so natural to them

cuddling watching movies

enjoying each other's company while doing separate things - but doing it together

laughing too hard at each other's jokes while other people are looking at them like they're idiots

other people joking about "you're so sweet I'm going to puke/get a cavity/etc"

trusting each other no matter what the other's stupid plan is - they know they have each other's backs

playing with each other's fingers while they hold hands

forehead/cheek/nose kisses - it doesn't always have to be a passionate/lustful make out session

tender moments in general

having a really hard day and just looking forward to getting to come home to the other person

doing something stupid together and saying something like "I wouldn't do this with any other person."

knowing how to comfort the other person when they're sad or scared // alternately: asking how they can help and if the other is snappy/whatever else, giving them space or just holding them quietly and letting them cry

finishing each other's sentences and laughing together/high fiving/doing something silly

doing stupid/silly things together and having fun with it - fast forwarding to either of them doing it with another person - exact same thing - and being like this is so dumb

doing what it takes to help the other be who they want to be instead of trying to change them into who they want them to be

accepting them for who they are - people that want to change you do not love you

loving them no matter what but not being afraid of telling them they're being stupid when they're being hurtful (though some people are also very nervous about conflict, so for those people, maybe showing they want to be able to say something but are scared to. They can still love you, but they're scared of the conflict)

being reliable in ways they aren't for others

always being there for them, even when they themself are going through something horrible

If you guys would like me to add more, I can but for now, here are the first 20 examples that came to my mind. ^_^

197 notes • Posted 2021-11-28 19:52:19 GMT

My Heart Ain't a Toy, Conclusion

(created on artbreeder)

It was a long time before I saw her again. The darkness came and went many times. Every time the ocean lit up, I'd hold hope I'd see her again, but when the darkness returned, so did my dark thoughts.

I threw myself into my work. I trained nonstop, after all, a Guard's learning is never over. Just as those trying to harm the royal family are always learning new ways to harm you, we are always learning now ways to protect against these things.

So I trained harder than ever. But then... one day, she was just back. But something was off. She had a certain glow to her, unlike I'd seen before. I became addicted to her presence immediately. I rushed to her to talk to her, but another man swam in my way and I stopped immediately, filled with cold dread.

It was him. Our leader. I couldn't believe he was the one she ended up with. It would be any siren's dream - or mermaid - but she was my dream. I was torn between being happy for her and throwing myself a pity party. I became even more engrossed in my training after that day.

But one day, she came to visit me in secret. She told me that she was pregnant - which became very evident after I realized what was happening. My eyes snapped up to hers and she nodded once.

"He wants to be my lifemate," she told me, changing the topic immediately. My mind started whirling. She was going to be a mother... the woman of my dreams... something about that drew me to her even more.

She started talking about how they met and how he was immediately interested in her. It filled me with disgust. She was my age. The man was old. No one even truly knew his age. For all we knew, he could be old enough to drop dead of natural causes right now and we'd never know the difference.

I rubbed my eyes, trying not to show my distress but failing. I couldn't believe she showed back up only to rip my heart out of my chest again. I felt a gentle touch on my arm.

"K-" She was interrupted by the door slamming open.

"My mate, why are you here alone with my guard?" The familiar face barked out. I tensed, hoping I was wrong but when I opened my eyes, I was dreadfully right. It was the Leader.

I swam back slightly, shifting my gaze.

"Sir, I-"

"I want you to go to the training room now. You clearly have a lesson to learn about trying to steal other men's women. Especially you leader's of all people." I looked at her neutrally, not wanting to let him know how torn my heart was between my loyalty for my Leader and my love for his mate.

I gave her a fleeting glance before rushing out the door to do as demanded.

And I got the beating of my life. Little did he know, that beating was all it took to push his mate right back in my arms. Though she was mated to him, I was always and always will be, the one in her heart.

341 notes • Posted 2021-06-26 14:42:13 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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thenightling · 4 years ago

Text

Horror movie Tag Game

I got this survey from another page and copied and pasted it.

Favorite: This changes based on my mood. I’ll list ten right now. The order and titles are subject to change on my whim. Trick r Treat, Fright Night (1985) Fright Night: Part 2 (1988) Dracula (1979), Frankenstein (2004 version starring Luke Goss, not the other 2004 version), The Company of Wolves. The Raven (1963) Sleepy Hollow (1999) Crimson Peak Faust (1926)

Least favorite: Low budget: Bonnie and Clyde vs. Dracula. Mainstream: Frailty.

Scene(s) that scared you the most:

The first time I saw Lestat come back from the swamp in Interview with the vampire it made me jump even though I knew it was coming. When Louis hears the doorbell and thinks it’s the carriage. I knew it was not the carriage and when no one was there I knew the jump scare was coming, but I somehow still jumped.

While watching a documentary about Dracula on the History Channel many years ago they talked about how at the real castle Dracula (Poenari castle, not Bran) some priests were sent up to bless the place since the locals heard strange noises and claimed to see lights up there. But as the priests neared the castle a storm broke out so they had to do the blessing from a distance and I remember thinking “Conjuring storms is supposed to be one of the vampire Dracula’s powers.” and as I was thinking this, that’s when the door creaked open and I practically jumped out of my skin.

While watching Let the Right One In it was at the scene where Eli was climbing up the side of the hospital and I remember thinking “Ah, this isn’t so scary.” but then the power went out, and it just happened to be snowing heavily out side and it was the middle of the night so for a split second I thought “Oh, crap. Child vampire is coming for me!” I don’t really count gross-out as scary but I always used to have to look away at the face ripping scene in Night Breed.

When I was little I had a major fear of skeletons so anything with skeletons in it used to scare me when I was little, like that pool scene in Poltergeist. I once had a 1941 Wolf Man inspired Nightmare where I dreamt I woke up after having slaughtered people I care about as a werewolf. I couldn’t remember doing it but I knew I had done it and I remember the guilt I felt in the dream. Scene(s) that made you laugh hardest: I know it’s not really horror but the scene in Ghostbusters 2 when The Titanic comes to dock. “Well, better late than never...” Best soundtrack: Anything by Danny Elfman. Best plot twist: My favorite horror plot twist is actually from a TV show but my favorite plot twist is in Penny Dreadful when after you get used to the cliche, simple minded, child-like Frankenstein Monster with the shaved head suddenly the real Frankenstein Monster, based on the literary version with the long black hair and yellow eyes, turns up and rips apart the zeitgeist version. “Your first born has returned, Father.”

Legend of Hell House. I started watching Legend of Hell House because Roddy McDowell was in it. Roddy’s character was such a cliche sort of character to die in those sort of Haunted House movies. He had survived it before. He was timid. He was meek. He wore glasses. He was withdrawn. He was practically a check list of “dead character walking” but instead he became the hero. It was a pleasant surprise. Best directed: Anything by Guillermo del Toro.

Most unique characters: Human: Peter Vincent in Fright Night (1985). A loving homage to both Peter Cushing and Vincent Price you get to see the has-been actor evolve and grow into the hero he always pretended to be. Peter Vincent is the first character I can think of who fits this description. Non-human: Possibly the faun in Pan’s Labyrinth. Most underrated: The Company of Wolves.

Most stress-inducing: Pretty much every suspense thriller made by USA network or Lifetime. They got very frustrating.

Most overrated: Most H. P. Lovecraft related things.

Favorite to rewatch: Depends on my mood. See the top 10 list at the top.

Funniest: Gremlins 2.

Greatest inspiration: Really tough call. At the moment I’ll say Tales of Terror since that was inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and who hasn’t been inspired by Poe in some level?

Guilty pleasure: If it brings you pleasure it should never make you guilty. However... Films that I know to be bad but I watch anyway and like incude I, Frankenstein, Van Helsing, and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I, Frankenstein is at the top of this list.

Fell asleep watching: Lust for a vampire. Somehow that film was very boring.

Deserves a sequel: The original Fright Night franchise (not remake.)

Coolest makeup: American werewolf in London, and pretty much anything Doug Jones has been made to wear by Guillermo del Toro.

Prohibited to watch growing up: My mother never forbid anything.

Left the biggest impression: Bram Stoker’s Dracula. What 90s Goth teen wasn’t inspired, at least, somewhat, by this?

Tagging: @sorry-for-the-chocolate @endlessemptynight @lamb90 @treebrooke79 @thesaramonster @unnecessaryhorns @mrgoldsshopofhorrors @jr4cats @winterbirdybuddy @a-m-automaton @kaimaciel @drawing-down-th3-moon @good-times-bad-food @sunagirl @everthewildeone @syra-syara @theartofthecover @artwinsdraws @girl-with-cat-eyes @mentallydisturbedllama221b @thegreatvampirekiller @theimpossiblescheme @iknowwheremytowelis

If there’s anyone who wants to do this who I forgot to tag, by all means, feel free to do it.

Note: If you want to do this but feel unqualified because you don’t know enough horror, feel free to use Supernatural / Gothic fantasy / even PG spooky kid friendly Halloween films. You don’t have to do the survey if you don’t want to but know I am laid back on the criteria of what counts as horror.

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wazafam · 4 years ago

Link

Ever since Bela Lugosi donned the cape to portray Dracula in 1931, vampires have become a symbol of sexy sophistication in film. As the decades passed, their wardrobes changed to fit evolving attitudes in cinema, with many designed to more closely resemble "creatures of the night" than charming sophisticates. Modern movies like Twilight shied away from making their vampires stuck clinging to the edifice of decadent pasts, instead reflecting the fashions of the day.

RELATED: Dracula & 9 Other Horror Movies From The 1930s (That Are Still Scary Today)

For all the fans who welcomed the changes to vampire aesthetic, others no doubt felt they lacked complexity. Vampires beyond Dracula were given a wide berth and a lot of creative license (like werewolf-hunter Selene from Underworld), especially as vampires in movies started to use fashion to convey not just their personalities, but the passage of time, and even their perspective on immortality. For every iconic vampire in movie history, there's another lacking imagination, and the most stylish are not stuck in time, but timeless.

10 Worst: Edward Cullen

Many vampires have blended in with their human victims - it's a perfectly logical way to maintain steady access to their food supply. Even so, elder vampires tend to find ways to retain a modicum of style, usually accumulated over their decades -if not centuries- on Earth. But that's not the case with Edward Cullen, the boyish vampire who's over 100 years old when Bella meets him in Twilight.

Despite having several college degrees, Edward is forced to go to high school in an effort to maintain his cover as a human in every area his family moves to, which means he's a slave to the trends of teenagers lest he look out of place. While this makes him continuously on trend, it ensures he's completely lacking in style.

9 David

For too long vampires had been seen as sophisticated aristocrats stalking Victorian parlors, making lace-covered ladies reach for their smelling salts. With The Lost Boys, a new vampire was born; a bad boy bloodsucker in a leather jacket. No one personified this new incarnation more than David, the leader of a clan of creatures whose hunting grounds included the teenagers at the Santa Clarita boardwalk.

RELATED: The Lost Boys: 10 Hidden Details Behind The Costumes

Wearing a black trenchcoat and fingerless gloves, David sat atop his motorcycle, single earring glinting in the moonlight, like a king of chaos. His vampire was bestial, reckless, and modern, making him as iconic as the original Prince of Darkness.

8 Lestat

Whatever era he found himself in, Lestat was going to rule the night. Where once the Brat Prince dressed the part of a foppish dandy in Interview with a Vampire, pursued by pitchfork-wielding peasants, he delighted the world as a rockstar in Queen of the Damned, pursued by mall goths in every continent.

Lestat had fun with fashion and was narcissistic enough to know he looked good in whatever were the latest fashions, but no matter if he was wearing leather or lace, he was a truly dangerous hunter who could croon a power ballad at a fan and then rip their heart out without a second thought.

7 Maximilian

Eddie Murphy turned on the charm to play Maximilian, the royal who arrives in Brooklyn to find his queen (in a little homage to his other classic Coming to America). The horror-comedy Vampire in Brooklyn showcased Murphy at his most seductive and unhinged in a wardrobe that redefined modern gothic elegance, even if the movie itself wasn't well-received.

Blacula walked so Vampire in Brooklyn could run, and while there's reverence to the classic blaxploitation movie in its frames, Murphy wisely chose to make his vampire lover more dangerous, scintillating, and sophisticated.

6 Akasha

For being the very first vampire in existence and centuries old, Akasha looked amazing for her age in Queen of the Damned. When she was awoken from her eternal slumber and went on her mission to find Lestat, she didn't bother trying to blend in with the mere mortals around her.

RELATED: The 5 Best Movie Vampires (& The 5 Worst)

Akasha highlighted her reputation as the highest echelon of vampire society with her amazing costume, inspired by the royalty of Ancient Egypt, a beautiful ensemble that belied her true savagery as she destroyed anyone in the way of making Lestat her consort.

5 Barnabas Collins

Emerging from his underwater sanctum like some sepulchral member of high society, Barnabas Collins is a man out of time but not out of style when he comes to claim his ancestral home from a conniving witch. The dashing, mysterious figure from the '60s soap opera Dark Shadows appears in the Tim Burton movie of the same name with a dramatic entrance worthy of his long lineage.

While it may be the swinging 1960's and not the 1860's, no one can deny that the vestments and glittering accessories Barnabas wears aren't decadent. From his rings and brooches to the top of his walking cane, he cuts a fabulous silhouette.

4 Selene

Like Keifer Sutherland did in The Lost Boys, Kate Beckinsale's Selene changed what it meant to be a vampire for a new generation. In her sleek leather corseted catsuit, tall boots, and long leather trench coat, she redefined what it meant to be an elegant killer.

Selene wore beautiful clothing designed for form as much as function, and nothing about her attire hindered her ability to kick ass. Other members of her clan might have had more ornamental livery, but Selene's ensembles consistently met in the middle of stylish and utilitarian. Throughout the Underworld franchise, her outfit even received a few fashionable updates.

3 Eve

The ethereal Tilda Swinton has played an ageless entity many times throughout her career, most poignantly in Orlando and most divisively in Doctor Strange, but it's in Only Lovers Left Alive that she's at her most arresting. As Eve the vampire opposite Tom Hiddleston's Adam, she is a perfect amalgamation of timeless grace and reckless abandon.

RELATED: 10 Underrated Vampire Movies To Watch This Halloween

With her bed head hair, French tucked shirts, sweeping Bohemian robes, and pair of shades, she's a vampire who probably did the opulent Old World thing, did the contemporary thing, and now exists somewhere in the middle.

2 Dracula

Dracula is not only one of the most prominent literary figures of all time, but one of the most iconic figures in horror movie history, too. He has been portrayed as both an elegant lord and a lustful lothario, but in each iteration, he's always the most well-dressed person in the room. Part of Dracula's enduring appeal is the fact that beneath his refined persona lurks a bloodthirsty beast.

Whether he's seen as a gentlemanly count in Dracula and Dracula: Prince of Darkness, a bloodthirsty warlord in Dracula: Untold, or as a time-weary romantic in Bram Stoker's Dracula, he represents the apex of vampire fashion in any iteration.

1 Best: Miriam Blaylock

While it might be difficult to steal the spotlight from David Bowie, the inimitable Catherine Deneuve does just that in The Hunger, as an elegant vampire who has promised to turn him into a creature of the night but delights in his yearning.

Being a vampire has never looked as effortlessly sophisticated, ethereal, and dangerous as it does when Miriam Blaylock is on screen, a powerful creature that wields the power to control destinies in her gloved hand.

NEXT: Movie Vampires: Ranked From Least To Most Powerful

Movie Vampires: Ranked From Best To Worst Dressed | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3dm19ih

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